Liquid-delivery apparatus.



No. 704,129. Patented July 8, 1902-.

P. SHEEDY A. CAMPBELL.

LlUlD DELIVERY APPARATUS.

(Application led Nov. 22. 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

WITHESSES: INV NTORS No. 704,l29. Patented July 8, 1902.

VP. SHEEUY & A. CAMPBELL.

LIUUID DELIVERY APPARATUS.

Application med Nav. 22, 1901 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

UNrTED STATES PATRICK SIIEEDY AND ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, OF'LOS ANGELES- CALIFORNIA.

LIQUID-DELIVERY APPARATUS.

srnorrlcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,129, dated July 8, 1902.

Application led November 22, 1901. Serial No. 83,339. (No model!) To @ZZ whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that we, PATRICK SHEEDY and ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have jointly invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Liquid-Delivery Apparatus, of which improvement the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus of simple and inexpensive construction by means of which a liquid may be automatically delivered under pressure from a receptacle and a determined and uniform pressure be maintained upon the liquid in the delivery-main and its connections.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter' fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section, of a liquid-delivery apparatus, illustrating an application of our invention; Fig. 2, a view, partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section and on an enlarged scale, of the mechanism governing the distribution of iiuid under pressure to and from the compartments of the liquid-receptacle; Fig. 3, a side view in elevation of the same; Fig. 3", a section, on a further enlarged scale, at the line d a of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a vertical central section through a liquid-supply check-valve and its controlling-cylinder; Fig. 5, a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a fluid-pressuresupply check-valve and its float; Fig. 6, a view in elevation of a fluid-pressure reducer, and Fig. 7 avertical section through the same on the line b b of Fig. 6.

In the practice of our invention We provide a suitable liquid-receptacle 1, (preferably, as shown, a cylindrical tank of sheet or plate metal of proper strength,) which is divided by a partition 2, located about midway between its ends into two chambers or compartments 3 3, Access to the compartments is afforded 'by manholes 4 in their tops, around which domes 5 are secured to the shell of the liquid-receptacle, said domes being closed at top by heads 6, provided with removable doors or bonnets 7.

Liquid-supply pipes 8 8-,controlled by stopvalves 9 9, lead from a general supply-tank,

which is notI shown, into the tops of the conipartments 3 3, respectively, the supply-tank being located at a higher level than the liquid-receptacle 1 in order that the supply of liquid to the latter may be effected by gravity. The supplypipes 8 8n are also controlled by supply check-Valves 10 10, which are hinged in valve-casiugs 11 11a in the line' of the supply-pipes and are adapted to open in the direction ofthe iiow of liquid to the compartments 33a. The check-valves 10 10 are held positively to their seats during the pcriods of operation of the apparatus in which it is necessary for them to be closed by controlling-pistons l2, which are fitted in cylinders 13, connected to the valve-casings 11 113 and communicating on the outer sides of the pistons with a source of fluid-pressure supply bypipesletlia. Thepistons12are xedupon stems 15, which pass through properly-packed shifting-boxes 1 6 in the val ve-casings and bear on pivoted closing-arms 17, the free ends of which abut against the check-valves 10 10a. Upon the release of fluid-pressure from the pistons they are moved outwardly by springs 1S, and their stems being thereby lreleased from their bearing on the closing-arms 17 the check-valves are free to be opened by and afford passage to the incoming liquid.

Delivery-pipes 19 19a, controlled byout-v wardly-opening delivery check-valves 20 20a, are connected to the bottoms of the compartments 3 3i, said pipes either communicating with a common delivery-main 21, as shown, or with independent delivery-mains, as may be found desirable under the conditions of delivery or discharge.

A float 22, the specific gravity of which is such that it moves upwardly and downwardly with the level of the liquid in one of the compartments of the liquid-receptacle 1, (in the instance shown the compartment 3,)"is fitted to traverse freely on a vertical rod 23, which is fitted to slide in a guide 24, fixed to the inside of the shell of the liquid-receptacle at the bottom of said compartment, and passes through a stuffing-box 25 at the top of the same. Collars 26 27 are fixed upon therod 25 at points corresponding with the upper and lower limits of the range of traverse of the float 22, and upward or downward vertical move- IOO ment is imparted to lthe rod by the contact of the oat with the collar 26 or the collar 27, as the case may be. Fluid under pressure, which is ordinarily compressed air, is supplied to one of the compartments of the liquid-receptacle l and c'oincidently exhausted from the other compartment by the movement of the float and rod through the intermediation of a mechanism actuated thereby and governing the fluid supply and exhaust, as will new be described.

A supporting plate or frame 28 is fixed upon `the top of the liquid-receptacle l, and guides 29 are fixed to said plate. A tripping-bar 30, which constitutes an extension of the rod 23 and is secured to the upper end thereof, is fitted to slide vertically between the guides 29, and studs or tripper-pins 3l 32 are fixed in and project outwardly from the trippingbar 30. A Vertical slot 33 is formed in the plate 28 for the passage of a pin 34, which projects from the inner side of the trippingbar 30 and which serves for the attachment ot a cord or chain 35, which passes over a sheave 36, journaled on the frame,and is connected to a counterbalance 37, which balances the aggregate weightl ot' the rod 23 and the connected collars and tripping-bar. Free movement of these members by the iioat in its upward and downward traverses is thereby facilitated.

A bearing-pin 38 (see Fig. 3a) is fixed to the supporting-plate 28 adjacent to one of the guides 29, its axis being located in a horizontal plane which is midway between the axes of the tripper-pius 31 and 32 when the movable rod 23 and connected tripping-bar 30 stand midway between' the two extremities of their vertical traverse. A Valve-actuating lever 39, which is of the bell-crank type, is journaled on the bearing-pin 38, the lower arm of said lever having bearing or cam faces on its upper and lower sides, against which the tripper-pins 3l 32, respectively, abut in the downward and the upward traverses of the tripping-bar 30. The cam-faces of the lower arm of the lever 39 are inwardly curved toward its free end, and the vertical depth of the lower arm in the central plane of the tripping-bar 30 is materially less than t-he distance between the tripping-pins 3l and 32 in order to permit of the t-raverse of the trippingbar through a determined range without contact of either of the trippingpins with the lever-arm. A weight40is xed to au extension of the upper or vertical arm of the lever 39,and stops 4l 42, which are preferably faced with rubber or other elastic material,are secured to the supporting-plate 28 in such positions as to act as abutm ents for the weight 40 at the limits of its segmental traverse, with the lever about the axis ot the bearing-pin. Pins or studs 43 44 are fixed upon and project outwardly from the upper arm of the lever 39.

'An upwardlyextending lever-arm 45 is journaled to oscillate on a bearing 4G, concentric with the bearing-pin 38, said bearing being in this instance shown as formed on a rod passing through and secured to the bearing-pin 38in line axially therewith. The lever-arm 45 stands between the pins 43 and 44 of the lever 39 in position to be vibrated about its axis by the contact of one or the other of said pins in accordance with the traverse of the upper arm of the lever 39 in one or the other direction. The outer end of the leverarm 45 is coupled to the stem 47 of a fluidpressure-distribution valve 48, which is titted to traverse in a valve-chest 49, fixed to the supporting-plate 28. The distributionvalve 48, which is of the balanced D-slide type, controls communication between atluidpressure-supply pipe 50,which leads into the valve-chest from a pump, compressor, reservoir, or other suitable source of Huid-pressure supply and one or the other of two ports 5l 52 in the valve-chest, one of said ports, 5l, communicating with a fluid-pressure-supply pipe 53, leading into the dome5 of the liquidreceptacle compartment 3, and the other, 52, communicating with a similar pipe 54, leading into the dome 5 of the compartment 3a. The valve 48 also controls commmunication Yfrom said compartments through the pipe 53 and port 5l and the pipe 54 and port 52, respectively, with an atmospheric exhaustport 55 in the valve-chest.

In order to effect the supply of fluid to the compartments at a uniform desired and determined pressure, a pressure-reducer 56 is interposed in the line of the fluid-pressuresupply pipe 50. The specific construction of the pressure-reducer does not constitute part of our present invention and any suitable known form of this appliance which is preferred may be employed.

The essential operative features of a pressure-reducer desirably adapted for application in an apparatus embodying our invention are illustrated in Figs. G and 7 and comprise a diaphragm working in a casing and subject on its opposite sides to fluid-supply pressure and to pressure imparted by a weight, respectively, said diaphragm actuating a regulating-valve controlling the supply of iiuid under pressure to the valve-chest 49. A relief-valve 60 may be connected to the liuid-pressure-supply pipe 50 for the purpose of releasing any excess of pressure therein.

The delivery-openings of the pipes 53 and 54 in the domes 4 and 4 are controlled by downwardly-opening iiuid pressu re supply check-valves 57, which work in valve-casings 58 and are connected to ioats 59. Upon the raising of the liquid-level in either of the compartments to that of the float the check-valve is closed by the latter, so as to prevent access of liquid to the iiuid-pressure-delivery supply-pipe and valve-chest, and when the liquid- ICO IIO

pressure to the piston-chambers of the supply check-valves 10 10a, are connected to the pipes 53 and 54, respectively.

In the operation of the apparatus, the parts being in the positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, liquid is supplied by gravity from the supply-tank to the compartment 3, which compartment is relieved from fluid-pressure by being open to the atmospheric exhaustport 55, as is the controlling-piston 13 of its liquid-supply check-valve 10. The compartment 3a, the space to the right of the delivery check-valve 20, and the delivery-main 21 are, while the compartment 3 is being iilled, subject to duid-pressure supplied through the pipe 50, the interior of the valve-chest 49, the port 52, and the pipe 54, and the liquid-supply check-valve 10a of the compartment 3"L is held to its seat by its controllingpiston 11, to which fluid under pressure is supplied through the pipes 54 and 14.

When the iioat 22 is by the elevation of the liquid-level in the compartment 3 carried sufficiently high in said compartment, it comes in contact with the upper collar 26 of the rod 23 and moves said rod and the connected tripping-block 30 upwardly, bringing the lower tripper-pin 32 of said block into contact with the lower cam-surface of the valveactuating lever 39. The continued upward movement of the tripping-block moves the lever 39 until its upper arm passes slightly beyond the vertical plane of the bearing-pin 38, when the weight 40 will carry the lever 39 to the right until the weight comes in contact with the right-hand stop 42. This movement of the lever will through the pin 43, lever-arm 45, and valve-stem 47 move the distribution-valve 4S to the right, thereby establishing communication between the fluidpressure-supplypipe 50 and the compartment 3 and the piston-chamber ofits liquid-supply check-valve 10 through the port 5l and pipes 53 and 14, and also establishing communication between the compartment 3LL and the piston-chamber of its liquid-supply checkvalve 10 and the atmospheric exhaust-port 55 through the pipes 54 and 14a. The liquid in the compartment 3 will then be forced into the delivery-pipe 19 and delivery-main 21 by the duid-pressure acting upon it, and the compartment 3a will be filled with liquid from the supply-tank.

I/Vhen in the delivery of the liquid from the compartment 3 the iioat 22 has fallen with the liquid-level sufciently low to come in contact with the lower collar 27 of the rod 23, the upper tripper-pin 31 eiects the movement of the lever 39 to the left, and Huid-pressure is by the resultant movement of the distribution-valve :relieved from the compartment 3 and supplied to the compartment 3a, with the result of again supplying liquid to the former and delivering it under determined and uniform pressure from the latter.

IVe claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a liquid-delivery apparatus, the'combination of a liquid-receptacle divided into two compartments, liquid-supply pipes leading into each compartment, a pressure-actuated supply-valve controlling each pipe, a duid-pressure pipe leadinginto each compartment and having branches conducting fluidpressure to operate said supply-valves, apressure-valve controlling said fluid-pressure pipe and an automatic device in one compartment for shifting said pressure-valve.

2. In a liquid-delivery apparatus, the combination of a liquid-receptacle divided into two compartments, a liquid-supply pipe having a branch leading into each compartment, supply-valves controlling the supply of liquid through each branch pipe, liquid-delivery pipes leading out of said compartments, fluid-pressure-supply pipes leading into each compartment and having branch pipes leading to said supply-valves, means actuated by said pressure and controlling the supplyvalves, a pressure-valve controlling the supply of Huid-pressure to each compartment, and an automatic device in one compartment for shifting said pressure-valve.

3. In a liquid-delivery apparatus, the combination of a liquid-receptacle divided into two compartments, liquid-supply pipes leading into said compartments, inwardly-opening check-valves governing said supply-pipes, controlling-pistons, each itted to work in a fluid-pressure cylinder and to hold one of Said check-valves toits seat, liquid-delivery pipes leading out of said compartments, fluid-pressure-supply pipes leading into said compartments, each communicating with one of the controlling-piston cylinders, a valvular mechanism controlling communication between each of said compartments and its fluid-pressure pipe, and between said compartment and an exhaust-opening, a iioat which rises and falls with the liquid-level in one of the compartments, and means, actuated by the ioat, through which the valvular mechanism is operated at the limit of traverse of the oat in each direction.

4. In a liquid-delivery apparatus, the combination of a liquid-receptacle divided into two compartments, liquid-supply pipes leading into said compartments, inwardly-opening check-valves, each governing one of said supply-pipes,fluid-pressure pistons,each controlling one of said check-valves, liquid-delivery pipes leading out of said compartments, outwardly-opening check-valves controlling said delivery-pipes, uid-pressure-'supply pipesleadinginto said compartments,avalvular mechanism controlling communication between each of said compartments and its duid-pressure pipe, and between said compartment and an exhaust-opening, a oat which rises and falls with the liquid-level in one of the compartments, and means, actuated by the oat, through which the valvular mechanism is operated at the limit of traverse of the ioat in each direction,

IOO

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5. In a fluid-delivery' apparatus, the combination of a liquid-receptacle divided into two compartments,a supply-pipe leading into each compartment, pressure-actuated valves controlling the flow of liquid through said supply-pipes, a fluid-pressure system connected with each compartment and with each supply-valve, and automatic means alternately admitting pressure to each compartment and to operate each supply-valve while venting it from the other compartment and its supply-valve.

6. In a liquid-delivery apparatus, the combination of a liquid-receptacle divided into two compartments, liquid-supply pipes leading into said compartments, supply-valves controlling said pipes, liquid-delivery pipes leading out of said compartments, fluid-pressure-supply pipes leading into said compartments and to said supply-valves, a distribution-valve controlling communication between each of said compartments and its fluid-pressure pipe, and between said compartment and an exhaust-opening, a float which rises and falls with the liquid-level in one of the compartments, a vertically-movable rod carrying collars against which the float abuts at the upper and lower limits of its traverse, a vibratory valve-actuating lever adapted to impart movement, in opposite directions, to the distribution-valve, and trippers,connected to the vertically-movable rod, by which movement is imparted to the valveactuating lever at the limit of traverse of the float in each direction.

7. In a liquid-delivery apparatus, the combination of a distribution-valve, a vibratory Valve-actnatin g lever of bell-crank form,hav ing a weight on its upper arm and opposite cam-faces on its lower arm, a reciprocating bar carrying upper and lower tripper-pins adapted to abut against the cam-faces of the valvelever, said pins being placed at a greater distance apart than the maximum distance between the cam-faces of the valveactuating lever, a vibratory lever-arm journaled concentrically with the valve-actuating lever and couplcd to the stem of the distribution-valve, and pins xed to the upper arm of the valve-actuating lever, one of said pins abutting against the lever-arm and imparting movement tO the stem of the distributing-valve in and by the traverse of the valve-actuating lever in either direction.

PATRICK SHEEDY. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

G. G. JOHNSON,

C. B. PORTER. 

